FYI: Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave

The WPFML is a new mandatory insurance program administered by the Employment Security Department. The program gives eligible employees access to up to 12 weeks of paid leave to recover from a serious illness or injury, bond with a new child, or care for an aging parent or ill or injured family member. They may receive up to 16 weeks if they have events covered under both family and medical leave in the same qualifying period.

What do the benefits cover?

Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits can only be disbursed to those who have a qualifying family or medical event, such as:

Family Leave

Care for and bond after a baby’s birth or the placement of a child younger than 18

Care for a family member experiencing an illness or medical event

Certain military-connected events

Medical Leave

Care for yourself in relation to an illness or medical event

Benefits

The weekly benefit for Paid Family and Medical Leave is equivalent to the dollar amount a covered employee will receive from ESD while claiming these benefits. The dollar amount is a calculated percentage of the employee’s gross wages and is capped at $1,000 with a minimum of $100.

Premium collection begins January 1, 2019 and benefits become available January 1, 2020.

Employer Responsibilities:

Effective January 1, 2019, all Washington State employers of all sizes (with very few exceptions) will have the responsibility to:

Report employee wages, hours worked, and other information for all employees.

The total premium is 0.4% of gross wages paid. To calculate the employee and employer shares under the law; the agency allows for three options:

Employee portion: .6333%, Employer portion: .3667%

Employee portion: .6333%, Employer portion: 0% (if <50 employees)

Employer may opt to pay 100% of the premium

This new deduction will calculate on all 2019 checks in your payroll account created after December 17, 2018. Your payroll account will default to option 1 listed above.

Employers with fewer than 50 employees are not required to pay the employer portion of the premium but are still required to collect and remit the employee portion.

If you have an employee who you believe is exempt from this new payroll deduction please go to Taxes and Exemptions under that specific employee’s profile in your payroll account on or after January 1, 2019. Then, select the box for WA Paid Family and Medical Leave.